Vacation & Travel Features

Galveston Getaway Information

When you choose a Galveston vacation home rental you'll be visiting a beautiful coastal city. Located in the Gulf coast region of Texas, Galveston is famous for a variety of reasons. Nicknamed "The Oleander City," Galveston is home to historic neighborhoods, a ten-mile long seawall to prevent flooding, and the Balinese Room, a spectacularly designed nightclub built on a 600-foot pier that heads out into the Gulf.

Galveston Island State Park, in Galveston County, is in the City of Galveston on the west end of Galveston Island. It is a 2,013.1 acre site that was acquired in 1969 from private owners under the State Parks Bond Program and was opened in 1975. Galveston Island is believed to be approximately 5000 years old and has had an interesting history during the past 500 years. It is generally believed Cabeza de Vaca and his crew were shipwrecked here in 1520 and eventually made their way from the island to colonies in Mexico. The LaFitte brothers, fleeing the prosecution of pirates in the United States, established a government here in 1817, with visions of creating a "Manhattan on the Gulf." Commerce did thrive here, but major storms in 1867, 1871, 1875, and 1886 greatly slowed progress. The great storm of 1900 devastated the island, killing 5000 to 10,000 people, and prompted the construction of the seawall which protects the northern half of the island.

Dunes Renewal Project: September 10, 1998, Tropical Storm Frances destroyed the sand dunes at Galveston Island State Park. The dunes serve as the only protection that the park has for its facilities. A project was implemented to rebuild the dunes through the use of Christmas trees.

The park is open 7 days a week year-round, except for hurricane watch/warnings. The park offers camping, birdwatching, nature study, hiking, mountain bike riding, fishing, and unsupervised beach swimming. For summer play schedules for the Mary Moody Northen Amphitheater, please call 409/737-1744. Additionally, educational tours of the flora and fauna of the beach and bay areas of the park are given by appointment only. Contact the park to make arrangements.